Jon Crispin's Notebook

The New York State Museum did an amazing job conserving and cataloguing the suitcase collection.  Three staffers did most of the work.  Sarah Jastremsky, Christine Allen, and Kara Chambers worked for months on the project, and they each had their own style of wrapping.  I have never been able to tell who did which case, but they all did an amazing job.  This particular case represents one of those distinctive styles. / Peg and I always try very hard to return the suitcases to their original condition once we are done shooting.

And it is she who does most the work in this regard.  Here is the result of rewrapping Leo R’s case;  very close to the original and equally effective.  She looks very proud and happy in this picture, as well she should. /  From time to time I mention Peg in these posts and it bears saying again that I would have a very hard time doing this work without her help.  She deserves a lot of the credit for what you see here and on willardsuitcases.com and I am so grateful that she is a partner on the project.

Leo’s case was one of many leather grips that we have photographed.  There wasn’t much in it, but what was there was great.  You can see by the label that he was admitted on 25 June, 1954.

I have never seen a Vaseline tube in this color.  I wish they would have kept using it, as it is a shade of green that knocks me out.

I have been adding more cases to the suitcases site.  Eleanor G’s just went up, which one of the larger collections of photographs.  I’ll have more posted by the end of the week, just click on “The Cases” at the top of the page.  Thanks for checking it out.